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The following note, which appeared with the first instalment of the edition in Ériu Vol. I., will serve to explain the circumstances under which this work was undertaken and define its general scope:—

“With this number is issued the first instalment of an edition of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, from the Yellow Book of Lecan and the Lebor na Huidre, by J. Strachan and J. G. O'Keeffe; the remainder will appear in successive issues; the pagination will be consecutive, and will be independent of the rest of the Journal; an introduction will accompany the last instalment. The text of the YBL. has been taken as the basis because, apart from orthographical peculiarities, it is, on the whole, superior to that of the LU., and also because, owing to the character of the facsimile of the Yellow Book, it is unfortunately necessary that the important texts which it contains should be published again directly from the manuscript. Lacunae have been supplied from the LU., and, for the sake of completeness, episodes have been added which are found in the LU. but not in the YBL. From the LU. have been added all important variants, and enough of variants of less importance to illustrate the differences of orthography of the two texts."

The late Professor Strachan’s share of responsibility for the work is confined to the first eighty pages. Though he passed for press the transcript of the next sixteen pages, his lamented death occurred before the proofs of that portion were ready. The transcript of the YBL. with which I furnished him in the